Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-09-22
THE PEOPLE MUST RULE.
An Important Decision by tho State
superintendent.


A peculiar case came up before Supt
Akers Sept 10. II being one In which the
school board refused to carry out the in
structions OF the electors The following
Is the decision In full;
w. H. Bundy CT al. VS. District town
ship Of Fredonia, Plymouth county: A
petition was presented to the board OF
directors OF the above named district, ask.
ing for the formation OF sub.district
consisting Of sections 10, 10, 81 and 81,
aud that the site for the school house, for
which the electors had previously voted a
tax, be located at the center Of the four(H
sections which Is also the center of tho
township
On the lAth day Of March the board dc.
MED the prayer of the petitioners. On
the 2Sth day Of March the board made an
order 10 locate the new site In the north.
west corner OF section 90, and to build
school honsc on said site during the en-.
suing summer"
W. IL. Bundy and David Baldwin ap.
pealed 20 the county superintendent who
reversed the order of the board aud loca.
ted the house at the center Of sections 10,
10, 81 and 20, and at the center of the
township. William Ellsworth, president
Of the board, appeals, The District
| Township of Fredonia, IL now divided
into six subdistricts, and has six school
houses, Sub districts one % and two
(2) are on the west side Of the town
ship, SO far rs distance is concerned
the children Of these districts are well
accommodated, those OF Jackson and
Wrinkle being furthest from their schools.
Mr., Jackson declines to take any part In
| A. lk..
omitted from those demanding relief, Mr.,
Wrinkle has one child aud lives near Mr.,
jackson, He appears TO have taken no
part In the controversy, rs his evidence
does not appear Mr., Bloom lives on the
southeast quarter Of section 20, and does
not want school Mt northwest quarter OF
section 90. Omitting the children OF
| Bloom Jackson and Wrinkle, neither OF
whom seem TO take any interest in u
school on northwest quarter Of section 20,
all other children In sub districts one and
two are now within one aud one half TO
one and thrce'quarter milos from thor
respective schools, We are unable, there,
| fore. TO see any reason for the location OF
| q school house on section twenty, Mr.,
Bloom testines that he told Mr. Tovey
| that he would not send to the new school
| II located on the site selected by tho
board, aud that MIR. Toycy replied that
in that event there would be but one pu'
| pil 90 go TO the new house, and that IL
would be necessary to maintain school
nj that point II appears from statements
made by some of the board, that tho
object has been to locate the new house
where there would be no uso for II and SO
avoid the expense OF maintaining another
.Ta. ar t.h hui. al hAl
nj all but the electors having voted tax
to build house they are compelled to
| put Il somewhere, and so they select n
point where there Is no demand or ne
ccssly for school,
Living about the center OF the township,
there are over twenty children who are
now from two miles TO two and half
miles from any school, There Is there
| fore an urgent necessity Tor some relief
at the center Of the township. Besides
for the accommodation Of the people Of tho
township inside from the convenience OF
the children, there should be at the center
OF the township good house, suitable
for the meetings OF the electors and tho
board The action of the board seems
to indicate a disposition TO defeat the
| intention OF the vote of the electors, and
to disappoint those who have moved for
an additional house. We have seldom met
with such adisposition. on the part of u
board OF directors. The location selected
by the County Superintendent is the right
one from every view of the case, and tho
board should proceed ut once to build ms
good building there rs the tax voted
for the purpose will warrant Tho
decision Of the County Superintendent
| is affirmed.
j. w. AKERs. Supt Pub. Inst.